1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle with reduced air resistance and wind noise, and in which a rider can easily visually recognize indications in a meter unit while the vehicle is traveling.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional straddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles, a cowling that covers part of the vehicle body is often used to reduce air resistance and wind noise. However, primarily because of exterior appearance requirements, straddle-type vehicles without such cowlings (so-called American-type straddle-type vehicles, for example) are widely provided (see JP-A-2000-128052 (FIGS. 1 and 2), for example).
In some straddle-type vehicles without such cowlings, portions other than the top surface of a meter unit (a speed meter and an odd meter, for example) are covered with a fuel tank, and the top surface of the meter unit is substantially flush with the top surface of the fuel tank in a side view of the straddle-type vehicle. In this configuration, air resistance and wind noise is reduced without a cowling.
A straddle-type vehicle with a meter unit incorporated in a fuel tank as described above, however, has the following problem. A rider disadvantageously cannot visually recognize indications in the meter unit unless the rider turns his/her eyes, which have been focused on a region in front of the straddle-type vehicle, to the fuel tank which is disposed closer to the rider.